3 hours. 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab per week.
Community GIS (Service Learning)
Course Description
Introduces students to the ways GIS is used by city and state
agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups. It
provides advanced instruction on collecting and storing
geospatial data and creating online maps for public
consumption. The course includes a required service-learning
component, providing GIS support for a group in the community,
and fulfills the university’s experiential learning requirement.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students in the course will be expected to take on
additional leadership responsibilities within the collaborative
research teams. In addition, they will be expected to create a
presentation on a topic or technique related to the course.
Athena Title
Community GIS Service Learning
Non-Traditional Format
Course includes a service-learning project during the semester
that either employs skills or knowledge learned in the course or
teaches new skills or knowledge related to course objectives.
The course uses service-learning as the primary pedagogical tool
for teaching course objectives. Students will work on a
comprehensive project(s) and may be required to spend
considerable time outside the classroom. Students will be
engaged in the service-learning component for approximately 75-
100% of overall instructional time.
Undergraduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will understand how to use GIS to address questions related to planning, economic development, and social equity.
Students will improve their ability to perform geospatial analysis, use common data from a variety of public sources, and communicate the results of their analysis through printed and online maps.
Students will increase their understanding of the ways GIS is used by a variety of non-academic agencies and gain experience using GIS in partnership with a range of community agencies.
Students will spend approximately 30 hours of the course conducting GIS-based research in partnership with a community partner.
After completing the course, students should be able to work actively with non-academic organizations to develop shared project goals, collaborate on developing data sources, and preparing/presenting research results.
After completing the course, students should be able to find publicly available data from sources including the U.S. Census, U.S. Geological Service, and local government agencies.
After completing the course, students should be able to develop new GIS data files where none are currently available.
After completing the course, students should be able to organize and share geospatial data within a research group using file geodatabases.
After completing the course, students should be able to increase their familiarity with both commercial and open-source GIS software.
After completing the course, students should be able to comfortably use GIS to perform analysis on cadastral and remote sensed data related to urban and environmental planning.
After completing the course, students should be able to make use of a range of tools for developing online, interactive maps, such as ESRI’s ArcMap Online, Leaflet, and CartoDB.
After completing the course, students should be able to understand the main principles of public participatory GIS and open data initiatives.
After completing the course, students should be able to identify the ways GIS is used by a range of groups, including neighborhood organizations, law enforcement, and urban planners.
After completing the course, students should be able to articulate distinctive elements of community-based research and be able to apply them to a specific research project.
Topical Outline
Defining community GIS and community-engaged research
Finding and using public data on communities and regions
Reviewing the main principles of cartography and geovisualization
Using geodatabases to develop and share geospatial data
Tools for creating online maps: ArcMap Online, CartoDB, and Leaflet
Public participatory GIS and the benefits of open data
Applications of GIS: Housing, food systems, environmental planning, policing, economic development
Doing research with others: team members and community partners
